Smart-working, Del Conte (Bocconi): 'An extension is needed'

The provisions of the decree that allowed companies to be able to resort to smart working will also expire on 31 July, even without the agreements with workers provided for by the 2017 law. This has allowed millions of Italians to be able to continue working directly from home in full Covid-19 emergency. But what will it be for the future? According to Maurizio Del Conte, professor of labor law at Bocconi University, "an extension is needed until December 31 next". "There are millions of smart-working workers who should return to the company from August 1 because an individual agreement has not been formalized with them - he explains - This re-entry, among other things, conflicts with the security needs: many companies are not still able to accommodate the workers in the offices, respecting the distance. An extension is needed to reach, thanks to the company bargaining agreements, the 'smart-working 2.0 ". 

Del Conte describes with the '2.0' phase what will be the evolution of a new agile job. "It is a completely different way of understanding work, which is no longer assessed on the basis of the tag to be stamped and the chair in the office but on the basis of the result - he adds - It is intelligent work because it transfers responsibility to the worker who does the use he wants of his time and spaces ". Phase '2.0' is that in which you will be "ready to leave the Chaplin model of Modern Times where everything was predetermined by the company" and where "the worker was the wheel of a larger gear without autonomy". So, specifies the Bocconi teacher, the worker of the future will be able to count on artificial intelligence to "carry out all the operations that are not very intelligent and repetitive".

"New technologies greatly ease routine obligations - adds Del Conte - of the accountant Fantozzi, whose only obligation was to get to work on time and leave not a minute before the scheduled time, there is no need anymore: his work can do it the algorithm. Thanks to new technologies, human intelligence will be asked to be creative and to solve problems. We will be able to pay people for their creative ability ". "Once it was said that with the salary the hands were 'bought' instead of the head - he underlines - New technologies, on the other hand, allow you to leave your hands to the machines and to 'buy' the head".